New bike shop opens in uptown Lexington

Tuesday

While growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, Don Jones expressed a great interest in bicycles.

He enjoyed tinkering with the bikes, completing repairs for people on the side and also helping businesses put together bikes for kids around Christmas time.

Jones — who has a penchant for mountain and BMX bikes — enjoys riding his own bike during the week, although he hasn't had much time as of late. That's because he and his wife, Lori, have worked tirelessly to open Lexington Bike Shop at 15 E. Second St.

"I realized there was a lot going on around the community like at Finch Park and the new skate and BMX park that's opening up and there's nothing really close by," Jones said. "Everybody's having to go out of town to get anything done. I like giving back to the community, so I felt this would be a good way to help out the community and provide a service.

" ... I was just in Lanier's Hardware (Friday) morning, and they were like, 'We have to tell people all the time to go to Salisbury or go somewhere else.' They're happy to send people somewhere local now."

Lexington Bike Shop held its grand opening on Saturday in conjunction with the opening of the Bike and Hike Trail at Finch Park. The shop will be open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The shop promises to offer a wide range of bikes, such as mountain bikes, road bikes, kids bikes and more. The shop also sells cycling gear and will offer a repair service.

"I can order just about anything," Jones said. "So we'll have catalogs for different brands, so if there's something everybody wants, I can get it in one or two days."

Jones said he feels there's a good amount of passion for biking in the Lexington community, citing the annual Tour de Pig, Finch Park and other local road races as examples.

For him personally, biking gives him an adrenaline rush.

"I feel much better, and it's a good stress reliever because I do it early in the morning," Jones said. "It helps me get through the day a little better. So it can get your endorphins going and overall the exercise is good for you. People choose their different paths to exercise and I use bikes."

When searching for a quality bike, Jones said it comes down to the components and how companies match them together. He explained there are different types of forks, suspensions, measurements, handle bars and pedals.

It also depends on how a person wants to use the bike, whether it's casual or something more intense, such as cross country.

"It all comes down to tailor fitting what you want to do with your bike," Jones said. "You start off with a bike and most people will come in wanting to change some parts on it after they've discovered what fits them and what works for them. Typically the cruisers or city bikes are the only bikes people don't mess with because they're just commuting back and forth or riding around the neighborhood, and they may want to change out a seat or get some some bags, some water bottles for it. With BMX, road and mountain bikes, there's a lot of intricate things that people want to change to get it dialed in for how they ride."

Jones said he's sensed excitement about the new bike shop. He added that people have come in while they've renovated the inside space and that cyclists participating in the Tour de Pig were happy that Lexington will have something locally for bike enthusiasts.

According to Jones, even before the shop opened, he could visually imagine the layout in his mind.

Jones' dream of owning a bike shop is now being realized, and he accomplished it with a strong support system.

"It's been crazy," Jones said. "I couldn't have done it without my friends and family helping out."

For more information, call the Lexington Bike Shop at (336) 705-1176.

Ben Coley can be reached at (336) 249-3981, ext. 227 or at ben.coley@the-dispatch.com. Follow Ben on Twitter: @LexDispatchBC

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